Changing Times Coming For Mountain West Conference In 2026 But Marketing Focus Centers On 2025 Football, Basketball Seasons
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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher-Writer
LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Meet Javan Hedlund, the marketing man of the Mountain West Conference and easily the busiest man at the Mountain West Media Days at the downtown Circa hotel-casino.
Hedlund is marketing a college sports league that is seeing five schools — including conference football powerhouse Boise State — leave the MWC for a revamped Pac-12 in July 2026.
But Hedlund is as busy as ever, chatting with assistant conference commissioners and media members and sponsors during two days of hyping a Mountain West football conference that will lose Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State next year.
The conference will become more Las Vegas-centric, with Mountain West operations leaving their Colorado Springs headquarters for Las Vegas.
Joining Las Vegas in sticking with the Mountain West Conference are Air Force, Hawai’i, New Mexico, Nevada at Reno, San Jose State and Wyoming.
We spoke with Hedlund Wednesday morning at MWC Media Days to find out how he will handle this football season. Take a listen:
UNLV’s Thomas & Mack Center will host the MWC basketball tournaments for men and women through 2032.
In 2024, UNLV signed a deal that requires the Mountain West to pay an estimated lump sum of $10 million to 14 million to UNLV in 2025, and then also pay UNLV approximately $1.5 million to $1.8 million annually during the a six-year period beginning in July 2026 for UNLV staying in the conference.
But keep in mind UNLV also has the flexibility to explore future membership in an autonomous “Power Four” conference without penalty.
